Principal's Message 

A Prayer for Our School Community

Loving God,

Bless our teachers with wisdom, patience, and understanding 

as they guide our students each day.

Bless our students with calm hearts, kind friendships, 

and a love of learning.

May our school always be a place of safety, respect, and joy for everyone.

Amen.

Team Teach: Behaviour Support Training 

At St Andrew’s, we are committed to creating a safe, respectful, and supportive learning environment for all students. Last Friday, our staff took part in Team Teach: Behaviour Support Training —a program designed to strengthen how we support positive behaviour and student wellbeing across the school.

The Team Teach approach focuses on:

• Building positive relationships with students as the foundation for learning, ensuring every child feels known, valued, and supported
• Preventing problems before they escalate through clear expectations and calm communication
• Using de-escalation strategies to reduce heightened situations safely and respectfully, keeping the focus on restoring calm and maintaining dignity
• Keeping everyone safe by responding consistently and with care
• Using restorative conversations to help students take responsibility and learn from their choices

A key message from the training is that positive relationships are central to everything we do. When students feel safe and respected, they are more open to learning and more likely to make positive choices. Similarly, equipping staff with de-escalation techniques means that when challenges arise, they can respond with confidence, care, and strategies that maintain trust.

This training complements the Positive Behaviour for Learning framework we have continued to develop this year. Together, these approaches form a strong whole-school commitment to wellbeing and learning.

We understand that student-free days can sometimes be challenging for families, but they are a valuable investment in teacher learning. By engaging in this training, our staff are now even better equipped with practical strategies that will make a lasting difference in the classroom, ensuring St Andrew’s remains a safe, respectful, and welcoming place for every child.

Regards,

Brian Martin

Principal